Graduate health students demonstrating creativity, rigour and real-world impact across diverse areas of health research have been recognized as recipients of this year’s Health Graduate Research Awards.
Graduate students from across the Faculty of Health are advancing critical research across a range of health-related disciplines, and had the opportunity to showcase their completed and in-progress research through oral and poster presentations during Health Graduate Research Day. The event – which includes the Health Graduate Research Awards – is organized by the Graduate Program in Health at the School of Health Policy and Management, as well as the Health Grad Student Association.
The work of emerging scholars reflects a commitment to scholarly excellence, fostering collaboration, mentorship and academic exchange, and projects demonstrating critical inquiry, methodological innovation and meaningful contributions to the field of health were recognized during the event.
Further, it highlights the Faculty's commitment to fostering a supportive, inclusive and interdisciplinary research community, where students and faculty have the opportunity to engage with new ideas and celebrate research achievements.
“The best part of the event was witnessing the genuine engagement between presenters and the audience throughout,” said Farah Ahmad, graduate program director for health, one of six graduate units within the Faculty of Health. “I believe the Research Day conversations and awards inspired attendees to pursue creativity and impactful interdisciplinary health research.”
This year’s award recipients are:
Best Oral Presentation Award
Jennifer Madigan, a student in the Master of Science in Nursing program in the School of Nursing, was recognized for her thesis research, “The Experiences of Emergency Department Nurses After Unexpected Patient Death in a Community-Based Hospital: A Focused Ethnography.” Her work explores the experiences of emergency department nurses after unexpected patient death in a community-based hospital.
Best Poster Presentation Award
Brooke Morris, a second-year master’s student in the Graduate Program in Kinesiology and Health Science, was honoured for her study, “Examining the Effect of Various Elevated Protein Sources When Combined with Semaglutide in Eliciting Changes in Body Composition and Skeletal Muscle Function”. Conducted in the lab of Professor Christopher Perry, her research focuses on establishing whether anti-obesity medications contribute negatively to muscle and bone health during weight loss therapy.
The Audience Choice Award
Parmis Mirzadeh, a second-year PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Kinesiology and Health Science, received the award for her project, “Health Care Utilization Patterns of Individuals with Obesity.” Her research focuses on obesity in the context of health care, with particular interest in health-care utilization. In her presentation, Parmis discussed health-care utilization trends across different weight groups.
The Health Graduate Research Awards are part of a broader effort to support graduate research that is equity-informed, responsive to real-world challenges and bridges theory and practice. By recognizing outstanding student projects, the awards underscore the important role graduate researchers play in advancing knowledge and shaping the future of health systems, policy and care.